The Presence of Christmas

"May I take your wrap?" he said
As I stepped just past the door.
His words were clear and welcoming,
But his eyes said so much more.

With arms outstretched he beckoned me;
I stepped quickly to his side.
With clasp released and belt unfurled,
My coat began to slide.

Off my shoulders strained from the day,
Away from my hungry heart.
Down my back of history,
Exposing each tender part.

"I'll set it here," he said protectively,
"In case you feel a chill."
Then he led me by the hand
And whispered, "I truly doubt you will."

Mixing with others, I soon lost sight of him,
And yet I felt his warmth all night.
I wore a cloak of threads unseen,
Woven from love and light.

"Who was that man who took my coat?" I asked,
But no one seemed to care.
"Perhaps it was my Uncle Bill," Jane said.
"Or maybe our neighbor upstairs."

He was kind and calm and so accepting.
Such non-judgment is truly rare.
I felt so loved and safe with him,
That I freely shed my cloak of fear.

"I wish that others could feel his presence,"

I thought. "I wish that I could see him again."
Suddenly I was drawn to a flickering candle
And there at its base, a small card read:

"May you find grace in the face of adversity;
And see the fear behind a critic's eye.
May you embrace love and joy as they're offered;
And give generously of your heart and time.
It is then you'll feel the presence of Christmas."


- Dr. Suzanne Zoglio

What did the gangster's son tell...

What did the gangster's son tell his dad when he failed his examination?
Dad they questioned me for 3 hours but I never told them anything."

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The president of a large corporation opened his directors meeting by
announcing, "All those who are opposed to the plan I am about to propose
will reply by saying, 'I resign'

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What's the difference between people who pray in church and those who
pray in casinos?
The ones in the casinos are serious

================

When I was young I used to pray for a bike, then I realized that God
doesn't work that way, so I stole a bike and prayed for forgiveness.

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A little boy went up to his father and asked, "Dad, where did all of my
intelligence come from?" His father replied, "Well, son, you must have
gotten it from your mother, because I still have mine."

===================

The First Law of Philosophy: For every philosopher, there exists an
equal and opposite philosopher.
The Second Law of Philosophy: They're both wrong

===================

Sunny's teacher sent a note home to his Mother saying, "Sunny seems to
be a very bright boy, but spends too much of his time thinking about
girls."
The Mother wrote back the next day, "If you find a solution, please
advise. I have the same problem with his Father."

Awesome Presence of Mind

An old man lived alone in Minnesota. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was very hard work. His only son, who
would have helped him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son  and mentioned his situation:


Dear Son,

I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my potato garden this year. I hate to miss doing the garden,because  your mother always loved planting time. I'm just getting too old to be  digging up a garden plot. If you were here, all
my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me, if you weren't in prison.

............................Love, Dad


Shortly, the old man received this telegram: "For Heaven's sake, Dad, don't dig up the garden!! That's where I buried
the GUNS!!"

At 4 a.m. the next morning, a dozen FBI agents and local police officers showed up and dug up the entire garden without
finding any guns.


Confused, the old man wrote another note to his son telling him what happened, and asked him what to do next.


His son's reply was: "Go ahead and plant your potatoes, Dad.......................... It's the best I could do for you from here."


Moral:

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD, IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING DEEP FROM YOUR HEART, YOU CAN DO IT. IT IS THE THOUGHT THAT MATTERS NOT WHERE YOU ARE OR WHERE THE PERSON IS.